Scotland's Listed Buildings

Scotland’s listed buildings 

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Pittencrieff Park Doocot Category B © Nick Haynes; Wolfson Centre, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Category B © Historic Scotland; Cottage at Baile, Berneray, Western Isles, 2 Category B © Nick Haynes

Main Street, Port Charlotte Category B © Nick Haynes; The Bandstand, Dunfermline Public Park, Fife, Category B © Nick Haynes; Mackintosh Queen’s Cross, Glasgow, Category A © Nick Haynes

Darnley Street, Glasgow, Category A © Neale Smith; Old College, University of Edinburgh, Category A © Neale Smith; Scott Monument, Princes Street Category A © Nick Haynes

Drumfin and Former Lowland Church Manse, Campbeltown, Category B © Nick Haynes; Titan Crane, Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, Category A © Andrew Lee; Seton Castle, East Lothian, Category A © Neale Smith

Scotland’s listed buildings This booklet explains what listing means for owners and how we assess buildings for listing.

Scotland’s historic environment has been shaped by over 10,000 years of human activity. Past generations have left their mark on our towns and cities and the countryside around us. The sense of place and the strong cultural identity provided by our historic environment are rooted in our communities and promote a positive image of Scotland across the world.

Efforts to conserve our built environment were first given legal form in the United Kingdom in 1882. In Scotland, listing itself began in earnest after 1945 and a great many buildings had been listed by the 1970s.

Listing identifies buildings which have special architectural or historic interest. We believe that listed buildings are among Scotland’s greatest assets.

Listed buildings chart Scotland’s history and highlight our national, regional and local distinctiveness. They help to make Scotland a great place to live and work in, and to visit. The historic character of our environment is important to our quality of life and helps us to understand who we are.

Ranging in date from medieval buildings to those built in the early 1980s, listed buildings cover many aspects of our lives: from croft houses and tenements, bridges and mills, to country houses and places of worship. This varied and exceptional heritage is a testament to the vision and skills of our predecessors and listing helps us to recognise their achievements and to value our inheritance for the future.

Today’s owners and occupiers of listed structures have an important part to play in managing our heritage. They can help to ensure that future generations will be able to enjoy these buildings of special architectural or historic interest.

left Seton Castle, East Lothian, Category A © Neale Smith

above Cottage at Baile, Berneray, Western Isles, Category B © Nick Haynes

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What is listing?

Listing is the way that a building or structure of special architectural or historic interest is recognised by law through the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997.

This means that listed buildings are managed through the planning system, using listed building consent, so that changes to them can be carefully considered.

The term ‘building’ is defined broadly in the legislation and it can include a great variety of other man-made structures such as fountains, sundials, statues and bridges.

Many buildings are of interest, architecturally or historically, but when considering a building for listing this interest must be ‘special’. To merit listing, the building must meet set criteria (see p.7).

Listed buildings and listing categories There are around 47,000 listed buildings in Scotland. Buildings are regularly added to and removed from the list. B ­ uildings are classified under one of three categories. All listed buildings are treated equally in the legislation regardless of their category. The categories are advisory and do not have any legal weight.

Category A

above Wolfson Centre, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Category B © Historic Scotland

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Buildings of national or international ­importance, either architectural or historic, and little-altered examples of some

particular period, style or building type.

(Around 8% of the total number of listed buildings.)

buildings which group well with others in categories A and B. (Around 42% of the total number of listed buildings.)

Category B

Group categories

Buildings of regional or more than local ­importance, and major examples of some particular period, style or building type which may have been altered. (Around 50% of the total number of listed buildings.)

Some related groups of buildings may have been given a ‘group category’ in the listed building record. There are A and B groups. These are not statutory and have no legal weight. They do not alter the individual category of listing and are included to show that the interest of the listed building is enhanced by the other listed buildings in the group.

Category C Buildings of local importance, lesser examples of any period, style, or building type, as originally constructed or moderately altered; and simple traditional

above Pittenweem from the west, Fife, Category B © Nick Haynes

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Assessing buildings for listing Each building is assessed on its own merits. A number of factors are taken into account to determine if a building has the special architectural or historic interest required for listing.

The Scottish Historic Environment Policy 2011 sets out the criteria for listing. In summary, the main considerations are:

■■ Age and rarity Buildings erected before 1840 may be included if their special character is substantially unimpaired. Later buildings are selected for their individual character and quality. Those built after 1945 are evaluated in the same way.

However, buildings that are less than thirtyyears-old will not normally be listed.

We also consider: ■■ the special value within building types, either for architectural or planning reasons, or as illustrating social and economic history.

■■ the contribution to an architecturally or historically interesting group, such as a planned burgh, town square or model village, as well as intrinsic merit considered in isolation.

■■ the impact of vernacular buildings, particularly how individual buildings are affected by their grouping. At the other end of the spectrum, a major country house may well be enhanced by adjacent buildings such as stables, lodges, gatepiers or bridges.

■■ Architectural or historic interest This is assessed under the following headings: interior, plan form, technological excellence or innovation, material or design quality, setting, and regional variations.

■■ Historical association Intimate associations with nationally important people, or events whose associations are welldocumented, where the physical fabric of the building is also of some quality and interest, can be determining factors. The association must be well authenticated and significant. The fabric should also reflect the person or event and not merely be a witness to them. left Muckrach Castle, Highland, Category A © Historic Scotland right Old Aberdeen Town House, Aberdeen, Category A © Nick Haynes

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■■ authenticity, that is, a building’s closeness to the original fabric and therefore its ability to convey its significance, and levels of integrity, carries weight. This need not mean that a building is as it was originally built, since changes may have added to its significance. What is added or taken away will be considered in deciding its overall quality.

A building need not be in use, or still used for its original purpose, for it to be eligible for listing.

For example, an industrial building may have been converted into flats with retail units, while a redundant railway viaduct may have continued its life as a walkway or cycle path. Both could be eligible for listing.

The condition of a building is not normally relevant when considering it for listing. This only becomes a factor when the building’s condition has reduced the particular architectural or historic interest to such a degree that it can no longer be regarded as special.

Listing proposals, reviews and delistings Anyone can propose a building for listing, request a review of an existing listing, or ask for an existing listing to be removed.

Proposals should be made by filling in our application form. The form is available online or we can post you a copy.

Once we receive a proposal, or identify that a building is of interest or requires review, research is then carried out. This may include a site visit. The aim of the research is to assess the proposal against the listing criteria. Depending on the type of case, we may need to go through a number of detailed steps before we can reach a final view. If we find that the building may be of interest (or not of interest in the case of delisting and Certificate Of Intention Not To List requests) we reach an interim decision on the proposal. Normally, the planning authority is then consulted, along with the owner where possible. The principal purpose of consultation is to confirm that the factual information about the building is correct, such as the date of construction or the attribution to a particular architect.

We will normally tell you if a building that you own or occupy has: ■■ been listed ■■ been delisted (unless it has been demolished) ■■ had the statutory address (the legal part of the listed building record) changed We will also inform the local authority and we will also let them know about all delistings.

The Briggait, Glasgow, Category A © Andrew Lee

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Other types of listing proposals Building preservation notices Local authorities can serve building preservation notices to protect un­ listed buildings which they consider to be of special interest and which are ­threatened by demolition or alteration affecting their special character. The building will be protected in the same way as a building which has been listed. The ­notice is effective for up to six months, during which time we will assess w ­ ­ hether or not the building should be listed.

Certificate Of Intention Not To List A Certificate Of Intention Not To List (C O I N T L ) is a certificate which exempts a building from being listed during the five years from the date of the certificate. A planning authority may not serve a building preservation notice in relation to the building during this time.

A C O I N T L provides certainty for owners and developers considering works to a particular building. Applications for a certificate are assessed in a similar way to a listing proposal.

Appeals We are always happy to review our decisions and these can be requested using our proposal form.

If you are unhappy with our decisions there is a statutory right of appeal for owners, occupiers or tenants for: ◼ new listings ◼ changes to the statutory address of an existing listed building Appeals must be made to the Directorate for Planning and Environmental Appeals within three months of the date of the letter we sent you telling you about the new listing or change to the statutory address of an existing listing. See our website for more information about appeals.

While there is not a statutory right of appeal for delistings, a change of listing category or a refusal to list a building we will be happy to review our decision if relevant new information has come to light which was not available when the decision was taken. Reviews for these types of cases can also be requested using our proposal form.

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The listed building record Each listing is given a listed building record. The only statutory, or legal, part of a listing is the address in the listed building record.

All of the other material, including the category, is not statutory and has no legal weight, but is provided for information. The record is intended to help people understand the special interest of the listed building. You can search the records online on our website.

The way in which listed building records are written and presented has changed enormously over time. Early and un-reviewed listed building records tend to be very brief and may not explain why the building is of interest. Later, architectural features were described in more detail but there was little explanation about the interest of the building. Currently, we

provide a brief architectural description of the building and a fuller description of why the building merits listing. We are also introducing photographs and location maps. A glossary of the architectural terms used in listed building records can be found on our website.

Listing applies to the building(s) or structure(s) at the address on the listed building record and it always covers both the interior and exterior, regardless of the category. (Bear in mind that building names and/or street numbers can change over time and the listed building record may not be up to date.) Because all listed buildings are different, what is actually covered by the listing can vary quite widely.

Your local authority will advise you if changes you may wish to make to a building will require listed building consent or if a building not mentioned in the statutory address is covered by ‘curtilage’.

Curtilage Under the terms of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act (Scotland) 1997, every listed building has a ‘curtilage’.

This means that any object or structure within the curtilage of the building which, though not fixed to the building, may be considered to be listed. For example, a country house might be named in the statutory address, but structures such as boundary walls, gates, gatepiers or additional buildings, such as a lodge or stable block may not be named or described but could still be part of the listing.

The local authority determines what is covered by the listing and whether or not other structures at the address may also be treated as listed.

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Some of the issues planning authorities consider to determine the extent of curtilage include: ◼ were the structures built before 1948? ◼ were they in the same ownership as the main subject of listing at the time of listing? ◼ do the structures clearly relate in terms of their (original) function to the main subject of the listing? ◼ are the structures still related to the main subject on the ground?

Can parts of a listing be excluded?

Legislation introduced on 1 October 2015 (Section 1 (4A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997) allows us to state that any of the following may be excluded from a listing and are therefore not listed: ◼ an object or structure fixed to the building ◼ any object or structure within the curtilage of the building ◼ any part or feature of a listed building that is not of architectural or historic interest This is to ensure that listed building consent is only required where it is appropriate.

It means that where a listed building record states in the statutory address and the statement of special interest (it will quote the rele-

vant section of the Act) that a part of a building or a curtilage structure is excluded from the listing you will normally not need listed building consent for alterations to the part which is identified as not of special interest.

We recommend that you check with your local authority planning department before undertaking any work. While listed building consent might not be required you may need other permissions, such as planning permission or a building warrant.

See our website for more information about listing exclusions.

above Aberfeldy Bowling and Tennis Pavilion, Perth and Kinross, Category B © Nick Haynes

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Working and living with listed buildings If you wish to alter, extend or demolish a listed building you will need to contact your local authority to see if you need listed building consent.

Remember that listing covers the interior as well as the exterior of your property. Like-forlike repairs to a listed building do not normally require consent but we advise that you contact your local authority before starting work.

The local authority is the main point of contact for all applications for listed building consent. They will consider applications using guidance such as Historic Scotland’s Managing Change Guidance Notes and other national policy documents, as well as their own policies.

Historic Scotland’s role is primarily advisory and acting as a source of expert knowledge. We provide specialist advice to planning authorities and to owners and their agents who wish to alter or develop listed buildings. You can find out more about this in the Managing Change Guidance Notes which offer advice on various factors relating to listed buildings such as windows, interiors, extensions and demolition.

Contacting the planning authority The first step to take if you are planning works to a listed building is to contact your planning authority. They will tell you if you need to apply to them for listed building consent. The planning authority is responsible for determining what is covered by the listing and whether or not other structures at the address may also be treated as listed.

Alterations which affect the character of the building will usually require consent. Alterations which may seem minor, such as stone cleaning

above Detail of door, Darnley Street, Glasgow, Category A © Neale Smith opposite Lochgarry, Cleveden Drive, Glasgow, Category B © Neale Smith

of all or part of the property, or replacing windows, may require consent. Major work such as extensions, structural alterations or partial or total demolition is very likely to require consent.

This applies regardless of the category of listing (A, B or C) and to work affecting the interior and/ or exterior.

Listed building consent is applied for in much the same way as planning permission, using an application form and plans of the proposed work.

There is no charge for listed building consent.

It is a criminal offence to demolish, alter, or extend a listed building in any manner which would affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest without first having obtained listed building consent.

Always contact your local authority before you start work if you are unsure about what is covered by a listing, or whether listed building consent is needed.

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Owners’ responsibilities A building is listed in the condition it is in on the date of listing. You will not be asked to undo any previous changes.

As with any asset, the owners of listed buildings are responsible for the repair and maintenance of their property. However, local authorities have various powers which they can use to help to ensure the future of the listed buildings in their areas.

Planning authorities can undertake urgent works necessary for the preservation of an unoccupied listed building (or unused parts of an occupied listed building), provided that the owner is given notice of the intention. The cost of these urgent works can be reclaimed from the owner.

The planning authority can also be authorised by Scottish Ministers to acquire listed buildings in poor repair through compulsory purchase. The authority must first serve a repairs notice. If the notice is not complied with, the planning authority may start compulsory purchase procedures.

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Where a planning authority is satisfied that the building has been deliberately allowed to fall into disrepair for the purpose of justifying its demolition and the development or redevelopment of the site, the planning authority can apply to Scottish Ministers for a direction that only minimum compensation be paid on the compulsory acquisition.

Places of worship Places of worship are handled differently from other types of listed buildings. Listed building consent is not required for internal alterations to the interiors of places of worship that are still in use. There is a voluntary consent arrangement currently in place for works to the exterior of places of worship through an agreement with most denominations. Check with your local authority whether consent is required. Proposals for total demolition still require listed building consent. above The White House, Isle of Coll, Argyll & Bute, Category C © Andrew Lee right The Hub (former Highland Tolbooth Church), Edinburgh, Category A © Nick Haynes

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Other heritage designations Historic Scotland is also responsible for designating other types of heritage assets.

We are responsible for designating scheduled monuments, gardens and designed landscapes and historic battlefields. More information about these can be found on our website.

Some listed buildings are also scheduled as monuments of national importance.

If a monument is both scheduled and listed, only scheduled monument consent is required, not listed building consent. See our booklet, Scheduled Monuments – A Guide for Owners, Occupiers and Managers.

We are currently reviewing sites that are both listed and scheduled. The aim is to remove instances where structures are both listed and scheduled. In the majority of cases, structures are expected to remain designated, either as scheduled monuments or listed buildings and the redundant designation will be removed.

Listed buildings can also be found in conservation areas and World Heritage Sites.

These are not designated by Historic Scotland.

Scotland has over 600 conservation areas which are designated by local authorities.

Local authorities are required to determine which parts of their areas are of special architectural or historic interest and they may designate these as conservation areas.

The public will normally be consulted on any proposal to designate conservation areas or to change their boundaries.

Searching for listed buildings, other designations and our decisions You can search for listed buildings, scheduled monuments, gardens and designed landscapes, historic battlefields and historic marine protected areas on our decisions portal at http:// portal.historic-scotland.gov.uk/. Here you will also find information about our designations and scheduled monument consent decisions. If you are still not sure about whether your building is listed you can also email or telephone us for help.

For a map-based search and wider environmental information, including conservation area boundaries, see Scotland’s Environment website [www. environment.scotland.gov.uk] You can also ask your local authority to tell you if you are listed and what is covered by the listing.

World Heritage Sites can also contain listed buildings. They are inscribed by UNESCO (The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) as places of outstanding universal value in terms of their cultural and/or natural heritage.

Scotland currently has six World Heritage Sites and these are detailed on our website.

The McManus, Dundee, Category A © Andrew Lee

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Further sources of information More information about listing can be found on our website where you can also download our factsheets on specific topics.

Insurance It is for each owner to decide what insurance is appropriate to cover possible risks and to protect the value of their asset. Because of the likely age and character of a listed building, repairs and insurance premiums may be more expensive than repairs to an equivalent modern building. They will, however, be similar to those of a traditional and unlisted building. However, as listing introduces the possibility of the requirement for listed building consent, many insurers will adjust premiums to reflect this process which in some cases may require specialist skills in carrying out repairs or alterations. An up-to-date building valuation will help potential insurers assess the risk more accurately. See the factsheet on our website for more information.

Altering a listed building Contact your local authority to apply for listed building consent. Our online Managing Change Guidance Notes offer advice on various aspects relating to listed buildings, such as windows, interiors, extensions and demolition.

Conservation Advice Our Technical Conservation website has a wealth of material about traditional buildings, including our INFORM guides. Through our Technical Enquiry Service, we also provide guidance on conservation issues to the construction industry, building professionals, educators and building owners and occupiers. We offer advice on where 18

to find information about the care of historic buildings and we produce publications for the public as well as professionals. The Technical Enquiry Team can be contacted on 0131 668 8600 or hs.conservationgroup@scotland.gsi.gov.uk for advice. See also our Technical Conservation website at conservation.historic-scotland.gov.uk.

Grants Grants from government-funded sources are intended to contribute to the conservation needs of the most significant elements of the historic environment. They help to meet the costs associated with using traditional materials and employing craft skills in the repair and conservation of original features. We have a variety of grant schemes. For our building repair grants, private owners should be aware that as well as the architectural or historic merit of a property, applications are considered under extended criteria that include the completed project providing enhanced community use. This includes how it contributes to local regeneration and provides a degree of public access. This may mean that private owners are less likely to attract grant assistance from public funds. See our website for available grant schemes or contact us on 0131 668 8801.

The Funds for Historic Buildings [www.ffhb. org.uk] is a comprehensive guide to funding for owners seeking to repair, restore or convert for a new use any historic building in the United Kingdom.

The Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme [www.lwpscheme.org.uk] makes grants towards the VAT incurred in making repairs and carrying out necessary alterations to listed buildings used mainly for public worship.

Your local authority may also offer grants related to historic buildings.

Legislation and policy ■■ The Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 [www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1997/9/contents] ■■ Scottish Historic Environment Policy (December 2011) [www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/ shep-dec2011.pdf] ■■ Managing Change in the Historic Environment. See our series of guidance booklets on our website.

■■ Our publications. We have a wide range of publications about listing and listed buildings.

Most are free to download from our website.

Suggestions and complaints

Burns Monument, Ayr, Category A © Nick Haynes

We welcome feedback about listing. Please let us know what you think at hs.listing@scotland.gsi. gov.uk.

Historic Scotland is committed to providing high-quality customer services. We value complaints and use information from them to help us improve our services.

If something goes wrong or you are dissatisfied with our services, please tell us: Complaints Officer, Chief Executive’s Office, Historic Scotland, Longmore House, 2.20, Salisbury Place, Edinburgh EH9 1SH . Telephone 0131 668 8713. Email HSComplaints@scotland. gsi.gov.uk. You can find out more about our complaints procedure on our website.

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Historic Scotland is charged with ensuring that our historic environment provides a strong foundation in building a successful future for Scotland. One of our duties is to compile the statutory list of buildings of special architectural or historic interest.

This booklet explains what listing means for owners and how we assess buildings for listing. It is also available in Gaelic as Togalaichean Clàraichte na h-Alba.

Historic Scotland Listing and Designed Landscapes Team Longmore House Salisbury Place Edinburgh EH9 1SH Telephone 0131 668 8701 / 8705 Email hs.listing@scotland.gsi.gov.uk www.historic-scotland.gov.uk Above: Andrew Carnegie Birthplace Museum, Dunfermline, Fife, Category B © Nick Haynes Text © 2015 Historic Scotland Design by Dalrymple Printed in Scotland by Allander This edition published 2015 Historic Environment Scotland – Scottish Charity No. SC045925

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